As more areas in Syria slip from control of the Syrian military, the United States is training local opposition members how to run a local government free from the grip of the Assad regime.

The State Department says it is running "training programs" for the members of opposition local coordinating councils in "liberated" areas who are beginning to re-establish civilian authority. The programs help them on issues of civil administration, human-rights training and other services.

The council members are learning "the kinds of things that they might need from the international community as they begin to rebuild their towns," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in her Wednesday briefing.

"They're asking for help in how to budget. They're asking for help in how to keep utilities running. How to ensure that the institutions of the state that, you know, provide services to the population, come back up and running. So we are open to supporting all of those kinds of needs," she explained.

Nuland called it a "first round" of training, tailored to help form a nascent democratic society, even before President Bashar al-Assad is gone.

"It also gives us an opportunity," she said, "to talk to them about inclusion and protection of minorities and all those things." The first step is to assess the need, she explained. Training could get more detailed as the opposition requests what it needs from the international community.

Concerned for the security of the new administrators, State Department officials are reluctant to provide details of the training programs, but Nuland said the department is running the programs outside of Syria for those who can exit and return to Syria. For those who remain inside Syria, there are what she called "pretty extensive contacts."

In addition, the department runs programs in Istanbul that train Syrian student and women leaders, as well as members of the media, in areas like justice and accountability.

Just how much of Syria is out of regime control is unclear. Nuland said it is a "mixed picture."

"Great swaths" of the country have now been wrenched away from the regime in the north and the east and, increasingly, between some of the major towns, she said, but the fighting is intense in Aleppo, Damascus and some of the major population centers.

The opposition, however, remains deeply divided, unable to form a cohesive front let alone a transitional government. Tuesday a top member of the opposition Syrian National Council, Bassma Kodmani, currently residing in Paris, quit the organization.

Nuland sidestepped questions about the Syrian National Council's disorganization, saying only that Kodmani "made absolutely clear that she intends to remain committed to the cause of a new day, a democratic day, in Syria. So how she chooses to do that is obviously her decision."

The United States, she said, "from the beginning" has seen the council as "a legitimate representative" of the opposition movement, "but we never embraced them as the sole representative because the Syrians themselves had a number of other groups."

For now, the Obama administration appears frustrated at divisions between the "external" opposition - those located outside of Syria - and the "internal" opposition who are actively involved in fighting the Assad regime.

The United States has supported efforts by the Arab League to help the external groups - "no matter how they label themselves," she said - to come up with a democratic code of conduct as part of a strategy for a post-Assad transitional government.

The objective, she said, "is that will be a pluralistic system that, whether you are Sunni or Allawi or Druze or Christian or Kurd, or anybody else - man, woman - you will feel safe. You will feel part of the new Syria. That's job one as we see it. To ensure that we are all talking about a democratic Syria before they get to the point of picking leaders."

A senior administration official, however, told CNN that "no one is under any illusion" that post-Assad leaders will come from the external opposition. Speaking on background because of the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue, this official said the internal opposition members are the ones with "legitimacy, with street cred," because they have been risking their lives in the fight against al-Assad.

soundoff(110 Responses)

CuriosityKilledTheCat

No sense of Glory or adventure, thank the gods Alexander "the Great" of Mecedonia didnt think like you cowards!- something tells me that if the U.S. would have simply sacked Iraq and Saddam's oil- give some of that to us (Americans), no liberals protesting the war because we would all be paying $1 for a gallon of gas!- A tradition that needs to come back into the international playbook- "Total War" ,"sacking" "leaving" in regards to War!

Ronald Reagan had the same issue on his plate (Insurgents trying to over throw the government) and the Afghans requested help from the Russian, That lead to [Operation Cyclone] which was when the C.I.A armed and trained Mujaheddin, The key player in the C.I.As deck at the time was Osama Bin Laden, He helped push the Russians out of Afghanistan, The U.S.S.R collapsed after that. America was out of enemies for the time being . Osama then turned the Mujahedin into who we call "Al-Qaeda" who then starts committing attacks in
-Egypt
-Algeria
Half of the Middle Eastern government was thrown into disarray in his conquest to create a "Unified Muslim country"
however some of the people didn't like that due to how their lives were already, In response he deemed them all "Viable Targets" Bush Senior enters office and the U.S is deployed to fight Saddam for Saudi Arabia. Osama then got enraged at that and began essentially talking down to them and he was banished from there and is forced to move into he mountains of Afghanistan which lead to him declaring Jihad on ALL Americans and her allies, September 11 happens and the U.S enters a long war in 2 main front Iraq and Afghanistan.

Right, Get out. The best case scenario here would be to get out and give Afghanistan back to their home grown Communists and let them sort it out. The tragedy here is that most of them have been killied already! Still, we have a moral obligation to vacate that country as soon as possible!

Oh yes, russians are well known peace keepers and peaceful people, especially with post-imperialistic hurt for mother-russia. Russians sold out majority of former allies over last 20 years. Just shut it.

Al-Moallem: The Syrian Delegation Withdrew from NAM Summit during Speech of the Summit's Former President

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Walid al-Moallem, on Thursday stressed that the Syrian delegation went out from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit currently held in Tehran while the former president of the summit, Mohammad Mursi, was delivering his speech.

I hate when some not very smart people with short term memory stats that "we should not get involved in Syria, lets mind our own business and let them kill each other". Let me remind you guys again, WE WERE MINDING OUR OWN BUSINESS BEFORE 9/11!!!!!. If we didn't let let the Taliban do and harbor who ever they want to, 9/11 would have never happened in the first place and also don't forget that you guys were the ones who voted Bush to get involved in the Middle East not the Middle East people.

Time changes things. it used to be legal to have slaves in the us too.

August 30, 2012 at 5:13 pm |

Fred Phred

No the Taliban was NOT supported by the US.

The people the US supported in Afghanistan became the Northern Alliance and fought the Taliban.

August 30, 2012 at 6:09 pm |

john

The U.S. has been meddling in the Middle East for decades! So dont say that you were minding your own buisness before 911. Syria is a whole new conflict with many different heads! For beginners most of those chemical weapons that we here about came from Iraq in the months and weeks before the U.S. attacked Iraq. Remember all those WMD's that couldnt be found?? Well Voila!!
The international community needs to step in and take out Assads ability to murder his people! That means no fly zones and to protect large population centers from attack.
Force him out and let his buddys in Russia or China keep him!!!
Take out Syria and then we have Iran surrounded!
Two more to go on the axis of evil!!!!

May be its time for Russia and China to step in and support militarily Syria (even put their troops on ground)......I mean openly like US and arab countries helping rebels......if they don't and can't then theu don't have any business there and let Syria fall into the hands of rebels.

August 31, 2012 at 2:13 am |

rory

You must be joking.US pokes every bee hive around the world well before 9/11.

Why is the U.S. backing islamic groups, these groups hate the west, minorities, especially christians living in Syria will be killed, Assad protected Christians, Didnt the U S learned its lesson from Egypt, read how christians in Egypt under the new Islamic state are treated.

August 31, 2012 at 12:46 am |

Paul Fillman

. Excuse me but the memory of 911, if you bothered to notice should be the memory of a nation conned in the most egregious way by the most inept administration through to use of outrageous lies broadcast to a nation of inattentive citizens who simply will not take the time to connect the dots. If we Americans manage to survive this mess it will not be because we are so wise but rather because there is a higher power who seems to love idiots.

Both you and "FBI" are nothing more than a couple of choad-huffing f@gs.

August 31, 2012 at 4:41 pm |

paowan

2010 census show the new births among dominant ethnica group in USA has dropped below 50%.
If it is 50% now, it won't be far off when it drops to 25%, 12.5 % etc. By that time, USA will be
balkanized too and need the rest of the world to interevene

In long run term, civil war does not matter. The fertility rate will determine the future. Many years later
Syria will still be Syria. You can not say that for USA and Europe. Most likelt these regions will
be inhabited by descendents of those who have not made there yet

Your ignorance is bliss! Canada and the USA were built and inhabited by people that immigrated here! The thing that makes us great is our multiculturalism and our ability to work together. Syria will always be a sand Dune, until it leaves religion at home , becomes democratic, and when the men stop making luv to Camels!

Once it goes over the tipping point, the good thing will turn bad. Many countries that fought a civil war were perhaps once
a country that used to welcome mullticulrism as a good thing. Wait for all kinds of weird religions to take hold in Canada,
USA and Europe wait for them to be rooted spawn and bloosm. In many Euro countries, Muslism alreadt account for 20% and much more among yong generations and each family can bear 5 children and the native can only bear 1.5. Wait to see who laugh last.

August 30, 2012 at 3:53 pm |

paowan

What is use of greatness of a country if country keep depending on immigrants to come?
It won't be long to your descenbdents but perhaps to descendents of even your present
enemy.

August 30, 2012 at 4:18 pm |

Jc

Does this government not remember the last time we trained the opposition? OSAMA!! This is the worst thing the U.S. could do!

Just like we trained the Taliban and Saddam among others. More "freedom fighters" Time for non-interventionist foreign policy. Ron Paul is right. We are shooting ourselves in the foot and bankrupting our country with this neo-con foreign policy

We didn't rain Sadam either. We gave him intel. Big difference. We also gave Iran intel. We wnated them to take each other out. So, what happened ? Iraq hit one of out ships, we blew an Iranian passeneger plane out of the air, Iranians got mad and blew up somethingof ours, I forget exatly what.

This is nothing But more Obama B/S. Islam and a democracy cannot and will not co-exist! Islam will not tolerate the personal freedoms of a democracy.Just another way for Obama to throw away more tax payer dollars.

As americans we feel it is for the right of humanity. Why should we sit idly by while hundreds of innocent people die everyday. Yet Russia and China want Syria to remain in the state it is in? It's only for the money. The weapons contracts and controlled ports. How about we all stop being so damn greedy and help our fellow man?

August 30, 2012 at 12:52 pm |

Ekram

To me, "Democracy" is the religion of the western society and they want to spread all over the world just like once Christianity and Islam did! Now Democracy is doing the same.........it almost eliminated Christianity from the western countries and now focusing on Islam. People were killed, wealth were looted and countries were destroyed by those who wanted to spread the Islam and Christianity and Democracy, under the leadership of America and other western countries are doing the same.......the means of killing, destruction of countries and looting of wealth are different in modern world than were in those days. Nothing has changed and nothing will change!!!

That's a bit comical. But, in a less cynical approach, let's hope the assistance is helpful and is actually implemented. This backhanded way of involving "western" powers (without the approval of the western general population) has proven to be extremely hazardous elsewhere. Like sticking a hand into a beehive to get some honey.

A big shame. How to divide a country over democracy? When was the last time anyone in u.S voted for anything but regime candidates. They ALL do the same, waste the same , steal the same, lie the same. how many U.S citizens voted for the Obama care? Or to buy military jets, ships or/and to invade Iraq ? Then what kind of democracy is that? Israel can go remove people from legit homes to open training camps. They have the iron dome. Why then use planes to bomb schools, hospitals and all? and why Gaza or Lebanon cannot join U.N? Israel sponsored by U.S has done one of the biggest holocausts of all times. While accusing others that defend their countries from terrorists of barbarism and of killing civilians. U.S is training terrorists to try and run a country.. But no one cares. russia is scared of U.S and NATO and so is China. At least Romney will really end this. He will declare war to Iran and Syria will be a bonus. HAHAHHAHA!!

This is exactly what I think: Romney should be elected to end this farce once and for all. Even if there are no significant differences betweens dems and libs, Obama "the first afro-american president of such a great country" has just slowed down this process, and also got the nobel Prize of peace thrown after him, for F knows why. But this moron guy will lead the US-Policy into a well deserved cul-de-sac...or into WW3!

We should ban all the lobby from Washington Specially AIPAC...They are ruining our Govt...Now, politician stooped working for us but for themselves and became slaves of these lobby groups...they are busy of getting reelected or stay in power then actually work for the country..Shame...on Washington!

@cook:
Ok i assume its totally not an "external conspiracy". I can imagine u makin that totally not cool gesture by the way. One year ago, ppl discussing the possibility of a proxy war supported by the west and the saudis were branded conspiracy fools. Somehow, it all lastet longer then many thought, and the guards had to be taken off. the west Qatar and the great democracy of saudi arabia declared to support those freedomfighteractivistcivilianrebels, when in fact they were doing it all along...totally doesnt matter to your analysis apparently...

They are preparing for an event that never comes.
Anyway the only thing the Syrians can learn about nation building from the US is how not to do it.
The American strategy is a proven recipe to failure.

Does he believe it himself ?! When assad favoured the world with his thoughts on Syria's crisis on Tuesday, his wooden, twitching performance betrayed exactly what makes a dictator-at-bay both pitiable and repugnant.

For the best part of a year, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have marched against his rule, braving the bullets of thuggish security forces. How did assad account for the protests? They were all part of an "external conspiracy", he said; a fact that was "clear to everybody" – or at least to him.

First of all, the information that more areas in Syria slip from control of the Syrian military is not accurate and not in reality but in the author’s and the oppositions’ imagination.
It is very sad to know that US government is training groups of terrorists and criminals. The oppositions in Syria no more than groups of Al-Qaida and the Islamic Brothers militia went for “Jihad” in Syria from all over the Islamic world, and killed lots of innocent civilians and destroyed hundreds of schools, hospitals and electric power plans, they destroyed historical churches and cut human bodies pieces using the name of their God when God is love, mercy and peace. And the oppositions outside Syria they have links and belong to Al-Qaida and the Islamic Brothers militia and this is very accurate information. I apologize to our innocent victims in 9/11 for what our US Government is doing.

Truth is, the US started this so called homegrown "democracy" movement through its CIA front groups. That's a fact this "news" organization convieniently ignores. And who are these "Democracy" trainers who are illegally in a soverign nation training these poeple? The CIA and their contracters of course. We all know they want the best for the people right? Like they did in Libya and Egypt. Now they are free to have their rdical islamists democratically elected into office. Hey majority rules right? Would these CIA officers be hte same ones leading known AL Queda and other terrorist groups, on the State Dept.'s own terror list, to overthrow a foreign government? Come on CNN. You guys are just a propoganda too for the banker controlled Governments pf the world. No one is buying it anymore. You no longer have a monolopy on our info. Thanks to the internet free people can actually know what is gong on in the world. Your game is over

If the price for Syria's freedom is putting a bunch of Islamist extremists, ex-criminals, and US-sponsored mercenaries in power, then I tell you that as a Syrian (not connected to the regime, by the way) I do not want this freedom.

One way or another, ASS-sad can no longer be in charge of Syria. Many of the Syrians, although afraid to say it out loud, don't want to see his face no more. Just because ASS-sad had a couple of small wins in and around Aleppo and Damascus doesn't mean much at the moment.

The FSA is composed of a much larger majority of SYRIANS civilians and military that defected ... They are the only ones who are getting the training and the assistance needed now.

Again. ASS-sad MUST GO either in the the sewer or paraded in downtown Damascus first. LOL

I am surprised at this analysis. Where does it say that the opposition is gaining ground other than in the minds of this really unrealistic analysis? For 20 months, CNN has been saying a matter of days or weeks. Come on, have some realism. Read the independent, time magazine, Le figaro, etc..and learn..Where does this Doughourty reporter get her sense? training for a civilian administration? Come on. Let the US spend on their homeless and unemployed and leave the world alone.

All 'Iv seen is rebel terrorists running in the streets looking for a hidey hole,

August 30, 2012 at 5:31 pm |

Ekram

Wars can be won by spreading false info/propaganda......so CNN is doing it's fare share on behalf of sunni arabs and US! It is up to us to read, watch and analyze and then decide whether or not believe them. False info often works my friend!

What nonsense. These criminals are being smashed by the Syrian army where ever they are found and sent
running back to their US handlers in Turkey. They are irregulars, they can't possibly prevail against a standing
army that has the full support of the people. The rest of the world is NOT going to let the US get away with
another smash and grab Libya 2.0 http://sana.sy/index_eng.html

not 'liberated' Syrian towns , it is occupied towns by islamist terrorist free Syrian army , Syrian government army must liberate these towns and expel islamist gangs supported by turkey , USA and medieval kingdom of Saudi Arabia,

I see that this country managed to worm it's way into the civil war in Syria, thanks to this brainless Obama and the worthless Congress. It's funny about they have all this money to fight all these useless and unnecessary wars but can do nothing to fix this economy here at home nor help the middle class. We see now just how much the M.I.C.(military-industrial-complex) has taken control of things in Washington D.C.!!!

its not obama's call...he is a puppet... just like anyone elected to the office... i totally agree with you.... the pentagon and military contractors and manufacturers own and run the country. our... process is dead... elections are farces to continue to keep the simple minded, and low of I.Q. distracted from reality...

You are certainly right all the way about congress ect. Former President Dwight Eisenhower said in his last speech to the American people (as President) to watch out for the M.I.C. He certainly made a true lasting statement.

Post a comment

CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.

Search Security Clearance

Share this blog

About this blog

CNN's Security Clearance examines national and global security, terrorism and intelligence, as well as the economic, military, political and diplomatic effects of it around the globe, with contributions from CNN's national security team in Washington and CNN journalists around the world.